Knitting method and machine



Oct. 4, 1955 Filed Dec. 26, 1951 R. H. LAWSON KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE 5 Sheets-Shes t l FIG.

INVENTOR. ROBERT H, LAWSON ATTORNEYS.

4, 1955 R. H. LAWSON 2,719,415

KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed Dec. 26, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ROBE/PT H. LAWSON .MMJ BY ATTORNEYS.

Get. 4, 1955 R. H. LAWSON 2,719,415

KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE Filed Dec. 26, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ROBERT H, LAWSON 9 H 5 UWNIIII I Ill FIG. 6.

Ill

ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 4, 1955 R. H. LAWSON KNITTING METHOD AND MACHINE 5 Sheets-$l1oet "1 Filed Doc. 26 195] INVENTOR. ROBERT H LAWSON flaw ATTORNEYS.

INVENTORu ROBERT H. LAWSON u wv ATTORNEYS United States Patent KNITTING METHOD AND 'MACHINE Robert H. Lawson, Laconia,1N.- Ht, .assignor toScott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N. H., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 26, 1951, Serial No. 263,377 17 Claims. (Cl'..6613) This invention relates to a knitting method and machine and has particular reference to the formation of improvedrib tops or other ribbed bands on half hose or other circular machines having cylinder and dial needles.

The patent to ,R. W. Scott No. 1,641,10l, dated August 30,. 1927, describes in .detail,the.mechanismandprocedure heretofore involved; starting on bareneedles, in the formation of rib tops of half hose and the transfer of loops from dial needles to cylinder needles which. were inactive during the formation of the rib top The rib .top so formed heretoforeh'ashadrelatively unsatisfactory appearanceand characteristics. While circumferentially elastic, its elasticity was .inferior to that characteristic of rib fabric made on conventional .ribbers from comparable yarn with comparable size. loops. The appearance, furthermore, was characterized. by an open ladderelike. appearance giving. the. suggestion of relatively loose knitting.

Both the characteristics and appearance could be traced to the fact that'thedial needle loops were ex.- tended to a much greater extent than the cylinder needle loops providing open dial needle wales giving the ladderlike appearance" The peculiar rib structure. just described was the result of. the necessary relationshipof the cylinder anddial needles for effecting proper transfer at the. end ofirib knitting for the purpose of continuing with the. knitting of..the leg. As indicated in said Scott patent,.,rib loops formed by the dial needles-had to be presented for transfer so that the previouslyinactive cylinder needles could enter them. In relatively fine gauge .knitting this transfer required, accurate and definite. relationship. of thetwo sets of needles. In .brief, as indicatedin said Scott patent, the dial needles had to be almost "directly above the cylinder needles to which they were to transfer. stitches.

In accordance with the present invention, greatly Mime proved formation of rib fabric is accomplished in a half hose or other knitting machine having cylinder. and..dial needles and plain and. sawtooth sinkers. and capable of beginning knitting on bare needles. In this fabric, the. loops of the dial and. cylinder wales are. of substantially the same size and the resulting fabric has, as a result, not only a'closed appearance butvery substantially in creased elasticity so as to provide increased-hugging of the legor body when theknittedproduct is worn. The product, for example, may be half-hose, a sweater sleeve having a ribbed cuff; a sweaterrblank having a ribbed waistband, .or the like; but for simplicity and consistency of description particular.referencevwill -be.-;made=;to half hose knittinga.

The end just indicated is, in accordance with the lHVfiIl-r. tion, accomplished by properly,positioningthedial needles with. respect to the cylinder needles, and. inparticular with respect to. the sawtooth. sinkers, during; rib knitting; there being provided a. shift in theserelationships during. the. transfer operation to correspond to proper transfer actions 2,719,415 Patented Oct. 4, 19.55

as described. in saidScott patent. In brief, while during transfer the relative positions of the cylinder and-dial needles are as in said Scott patent, during rib knittingpf the stocking top the dial needles are caused. to be positioned relatively backwardly with respect: .to the cylinder needles so that each dial needle is located in an axial plane which is just slightly in advance of the plane of an associated active cylinder needle, the axial plane of eachdial needle being, in effect, set back with respect to the axial plane of the cylinder needle to which it. will transfer a loop during the transfer operation. This positions each dial needle substantially backwardly relatively to. the preceding sawtooth sinker, which sinkers play a substantial part in the final formation of the loops.

It may be noted that the relative positions of the ele: ments (dial and cylinder needles, sawtoothv and plain sinkers and fins) may be reversed with respect to the direction of progress of knitting with essentially the same results, i. e. the dial needles could knit close to, but to the rear of, active cylinder needles, with the other elements correspondingly reversed as to sequential location and with shogging in the opposite direction; but for consistency of description reference will be made throughout the description to the particular arrangement referred to above.

While the cylinder and dial rotate generally in unison at the same angular speeds, the dial is shogged with respect to the cylinder between positions for proper rib knitting, in accordance with the invention, and for proper transfer. The dial must also be capable of being shoggedbecause during rib knitting dial fins are quite close to the sawtooth sinkers and if they were in a corresponding position when the dial. was raised, as it must be to make room for the welt fabric, the fins and sawtooth sinkers would interfere when the dial was automatically lowered by failing to provide space for the welt, the sinkers being in their in-. ward positions to hold thewelt at the time lowering occurs, though immediately after lowering of the dial they are moved outwardly and so remain during rib knitting. The shogging is accomplished by providing in the driving connections to the dial a planetary gear arrangement which may be shifted undercontrolof the main cam drum of the machine during operation without interferingwith normal concurrent rotation of the dial and cylinder, there being merely a slight phase. shift of these two rotating parts. It will, of course, be evident that such a shogging device of planetary or other type may be inthe cylinder drive connections, the important feature being, a relativeshogging movement between the cylinder and dial.

The broad objects of the invention. are concerned. with the attainment of the results just described. These and other objects of the invention. particularly relating, to details of construction. and operation and. the production of an improved article will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying, drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation: showing dial driving connections including. the shogging means heretofore.

mentioned;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation looking at the right-hand side of Figure l and showing adjustable means for limiting shogging movements;

Figure 3 is an. inside development ofthe cams for acting uponthe butts of cylinder needles;

FigureA is a horizontal sectionshowingin particular cams for-acting upon the hook and point members con.- stituting the two-part dial needles;

Figure 5 is a similar. view showing, in particular, the waves imparted to the dial needle members;

Figure. 6 is. a development looking inwardly at the. cylinder and dial needles and. associatedelements, the sinkers associated with the cylinder needles being shown in section;

Figures 7 to 11, inclusive, are enlarged axial sections showing the relationships of the cylinder and dial needles and associated elements during rib knitting, the various sections being taken on the axial planes indicated at 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, respectively, in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6;

Figure 12 is a diagram showing conventional rib formation;

Figure 13 is a diagram showing the improved rib formation; and

Figure 14 is a diagrammatic illustration of a stocking provided in accordance with the invention.

The half hose machine which is illustrated is, except for the relationships of the needles and the shogging mechanism, essentially as described in said Scott patent and, accordingly, there are illustrated only those changes and parts which are particularly concerned with the attainment of the objects of the present invention. As will more fully appear hereafter, transfer operations are carried out precisely as described in said Scott patent, and they have not been illustrated.

The half hose machine comprises the slotted needle cylinder 2 in which are mounted latch needles which are designated 4' and 4", there being designated by 4' those alternate needles which are active during rib knitting while there are designated at 4 the intermediate needles which are inactive during rib knitting. As is usual, these needles are provided with butts arranged to be acted upon by suitable cams, there being made provision for differentiating the needles of the groups 4 and 4" by means of jacks which are not illustrated, the arrangement being as in said Scott patent.

When making 1 x 1 rib two types of sinkers are provided in alternation about the needle cylinder between the needles thereof. Sinkers indicated at 6 are provided with sawteeth 8 and usual nibs 10 and are located to the left of, or behind, from the standpoint of direction of cylinder rotation, each of the active needles 4, as illustrated particularly in Figure 6. The intermediate sinkers 12 are without the sawteeth 8 and are provided at the rear of the inactive needles 4". These sinkers of both sets are mounted in conventional fashion and have conventional waves imparted thereto, as described in said Scott patent, by cams acting upon their butts. If other types of ribs, such as 2 x l or 3 x l are desired, certain of the sawtooth sinkers 6 may be replaced by plain sinkers 12.

The usual slotted dial is provided at 14 and has fins 15 of the usual type provided on its underside for cooperation with the sawtooth sinkers to assist in the drawing of the fabric inwardly from the cylinder needles. The dial is automatically vertically movable as described in said Scott patent. It is raised in the formation of the welt to provide room for the formation of the welt fabric and is then lowered with respect to the cylinder for knitting of the rib. It is then again raised after transfer.

Within radial slots in the dial 14 there are mounted for relative sliding movements the hook members 16 and the cast-off or point members constituting the dial needles. The hook members 16 are provided with the usual hooks 18 while the point members 20 are provided with the usual points 22. Butts 24 and 26 on these respective members are arranged to be acted upon by dial cams, such as indicated in Figure 4, including the member 28 provided with the cam surface 30 and earns 32, 34 and 36.

The butts of the cylinder needles are arranged to be acted upon by the switch cam 37, the reverse stitch cam 38, the center cam 40, the forward stitch cam 42, the rise cam 44 and the lowering cam 46. As indicated in Figure 3, the needles 4, which are active during rib knitting, pass these cams along the butt path A, their butts passing over the reverse stitch cam 38 and being depressed by earns 40 and 42 to take yarn at the feed of the machine, then being raised by cam 44 and lowered by cam 46. The needles 4", which are inactive during rib knitting, enter the butt path B and aredepressed below the reverse stitch cam 38 by switch cam 37 thereafter moving horizontally to join the butts of the needles 4' to be raised by cam 44 and then lowered by cam 46.

The various structural matters heretofore described will be found to be essentially as disclosed in said Scott patent and details need not be particularly described herein. However reference may be made to two matters which contribute to the securing of best results. First, it is desirable, as will appear from Figures 3 to 5 and 7 to 11, inclusive, of the drawings, that the dial needles draw their stitches during rib knitting somewhat later than the cylinder needles which aids in widening the bights between the rib and plain loops and also makes the action of the sawtooth sinkers more positive. Secondly, it is preferable to effect cast off by means of an outside point 22 rather than by an inside hook as described alternatively in said Scott patent, the result being less stretching of the dial stitches with a resulting tendency to production of wider bights between the rib andplain loops.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the dial 14 is connected to a shaft 48 which is driven through the pair of bevel gears at 50 from a shaft 51 which is; in turn driven by a pair of bevel gears 52 from a vertical shaft 54. In said Scott patent, the shaft corresponding: to 54 was driven in unison with the needle cylinder by direct gear drive. In the present case, however, there is secured to the lower end of shaft 54 a gear 56 meshing with a pinion 58 secured to a second pinion 60 through a stub shaft 61, the pinion 60 meshing with a gear 62 secured to a shaft 64 coaxial with the shaft 54 and driven through bevel gears 66 from the shaft 67 which drives the needle cylinder. A yoke 68 mounted coaxially with the shafts 54 and 64 serves to mount the stub shaft 61 to provide a planetary gear arrangement, the yoke being connected through a linkage including the link 70 so as to be angularly shiftable by a cam on the main cam drum of the machine between positions limited by the adjustable stop screws 72 and 74. The linkage, including the link 70, has sufficient spring so that at the extremes of its movement the yoke 68 may be definitelyv arrested by the screws 72 and 74 in the two extreme positions. During all knitting, including the transfer operation, the yoke 68 is in contact with stop screw 72. During rib knitting, however, it is in contact with stop screw 74.

When the yoke 68 is in contact with stop screw 72, the dial needles and cylinder needles are in the relative positions illustrated in said Scott patent suitable for transfer of loops from the dial needles to the cylinder needles. In brief, under these conditions the dial needles are substantially in the same axial planes as the needles 4" to which transfer of loops is to be made. Fins 15 are then in the axial planes of plain sinkers 12. As indicated above, these relative positions of the parts would result in rib knitting of the type heretofore produced and relatively unsatisfactory as already mentioned.

When, however, during rib knitting the yoke 68 is held in contact with stop screw 74, the dial is shogged relatively rearwardly with respect to the cylinder giving the butts the relative positions illustrated in Figure 6. Under these conditions, it will be noted that the dial needles are no longer in the axial planes of the inactive cylinder needles but, rather, are displaced rearwardly to the end that they are in axial planes close to, and immediately in front of, the active cylinder needles from the standpoint of the direction of rotation, which is to the right in Figure 6. Under these conditions, there is also displacement of the fins 15 to bring them substantially in the axial planes of the active cylinder needles 4'. As will be evident from the foregoing, the sawtooth sinkers will now be asymmetrically located with respect to the cylinder and dial needles, the dial needles being spaced to a greater extent than the active cylinder needles from the sawtooth sinkers therebetween. a s

It will be noted, comparing Figures 3 and 4, that in the formation of stitches the cylinder needles 4 reach their lowermost position undcrstitch cam 42 at theaxial plane 9 which precedes the axial plane 10 at whichthe hook members 16 reach their innermost stitch drawing positions.

The result of the foregoing, is the production of improved rib fabric, as heretofore pointed out, in which the dial needle wales although not positioned midway between the cylinder needle wales, are of substantially the same size, giving rise to improved elasticity and, concurrently, to improved appearance of a more solid and heavier rib fabric devoid of the open ladder-like lines characterizing the rib fabrics heretofore produced on cylinder and dial machines capable of knitting and of fecting transfer of loops by means of dial needles such as in the said Scott patent.

It appears that the results may be explained as follows with reference to Figures 12 and 13:

Figure 12 illustrates the old type of rib fabric produced on half hose machines, in which fabric a dial needle. wale is indicated at 80 flanked by cylinder needle wales at 82 and 84. Between the cylinder wales. are the so-called sinker wales 86 and 88, which designation is commonly used though rather inappropriately as applied to the present type of rib formation, inasmuch as yarn is not drawn directly over the sinkers. Perhaps more properly the loops in the vertical lines at 86 and 88 may be referred to as bights between the dial and cylinder needle wales. At the top of this figure the center lines of the various knitting elements are designated by the reference numerals of these elements. As is indicated, in the formation of this old type of rib fabric, the dial needles, having the parts 16 and 20 are symmetrically located between active. cylinder needles 4 and in vertical alignment with the inactive cylinder needles 4". Symmetrically located between cylinder needles are the sawtooth sinkers 6 and plain sinkers 12. Pins are substantially directly above plain sinkers 12.

What happens during the knitting. is that the sawtooth sinkers engage the dial needle loops after they are drawn and act to enlarge these loops robbing the adjacent cylinder needle loops and, particularly, the sinker wales, causing the cylinder needle wales and adjacent sinker wales to become tightly grouped as illustrated, leaving the dial needle wales so enlarged as to give a ladderlike appearance. Elasticity in a fabric knitted of substantially inelastic yarns depends upon the ability of its loops to distort and spring back to their original shapes and maximum elasticity results when a maximum of the knitted yarn is capable of both distortion and restoration. In particular, elasticity of a rib knitted fabric is due to its normal tendency to achieve thickness by extension of the bights of its sinker loops normal to the faces of the fabric, bringing the plain and rib Wales together, one set on one face of the fabric and the other on the. opposite face. As will be. clear from Figure 12, the portions of the yarn in the tightened cylinder needle wales and sinker Wales are capable of relatively little distortion while the bights of the dial needle Wales are substantially incapable of horizontal elongation by virtue of straightening and are visible from both faces of the fabric. The fabric has little thickness and inferior elasticity is the result.

Incontrast with Figure 12, Figure 13 illustrates the improvedfabric and the relative positions of the knitting elements. The wales corresponding to those of Figure 12 are designated by the same numerals primed.

In the formation of the improved fabric, the sawtooth sinkers do not engage the dial needle loops but, rather, the bights of sinker wales 88. These are slightly enlarged as a result, but they stand approximately normal to the fabric faces when the fabric is relaxed so that by distortion to directions more nearly parallel to the fabric faces they contribute to the fabric elasticity. The dial needleloops and the cylinder needle loops are approxi? mately ofthe same size, with the sawtooth sinker wales 88' somewhat wider than the plain sinker wales 86 and in the relaxed fabric the cylinder needle loops appear substantially touching each other on one face of the. fabric and. the dial needle loops appear substantially touching each other on the other face, each set of loops being hidden from the opposite face. The result is a highly elastic. fabric of substantial thickness. This fabric is characterized by the slight asymmetry of the bights be tween the dial and cylinder needle loops on opposite sides of each needle Wale.

Following the formation of the rib top with the eler ments arranged. and operating as described, shogging takes place to the transfer position and loops are transferred from the dial needles to the inactive cylinder needles as described in said Scott patent, the inactive cylinder needles then becoming active to knit the leg, As is customary, a yarn. change may occur subsequently to the transfer, the plain leg portion being, nevertheless, knit continuously with the rib portion of the product. The leg has the same number of needle wales as the rib top, plain wales continuing directlyfrom the rib top into the. leg while rib wales of the top continue as plain wales in the leg.

As will be evident, the relative shogging of the cylinder and dial isalone of importance, and whichone is moved to effect the shagging is not of significance. t

The starting of the fabric on bare needles may be ac.- complished in alternative fashions. First a welt may be produced by forming a setting-up. course on the dial needles and alternate cylinder needles after which the dial needles are caused to hold their stitches while knitting proceeds on cylinder needles only for an appropriatenumber of courses knitting plain fabric. Then the rib knitting, is started, thestitches held. on the rib needles beingpicked up to provide a turned welt. This is as described in the Scott patent.

Alternatively, the start may involve. the knitting of .a so-called tab on alternate cylinder needles only, starting with every fourth needle.

If desired rubber may be incorporatedin the portion of the article preceding formation of the rib.

Whatever, the form of the plain knit portion preceding the'rib top, it serves by engagement by the sinkers to start proper knitting of the rib top without the use of a fabric takeup.

As previously pointed out, the dial is raised relatively to the cylinder during welt formation and this is also. true during tab formation. When so raised, and at the time. of lowering of the dial, the dial is in a position in whichrthe fins are located above the plain sinkers, so that the dial may be lowered without too little clearance. betweenits fins and the sawtooth sinkers. After it is loweredwit is shogged to the proper position for rib knitting as heretofore described, at which time the fins are .closely aljacent to the sawtooth sinkers and overlap them: as shown in Figure 6 but the sawtooth sinkers are in outwardly re.- tracted positions as shown in. Figures 7 to 11.

A stocking blank provided in accordance with. the: in.- vention is illustrated in Figure 14 in. which W represents theplain knit welt or other top, R represents the improved rib portion, L represents the plain knit leg and F represents the foot, the heel and toe being shown at H and T respectively. The portions of the stocking other than the rib top maybe conventional. The article is cast off when completed, for example, after the knitting of the usual. loopers waste courses in the caseof the knitting of half hose.

What is claimed is:

1. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial cylinder and dial needles respectively carried thereby, the dial needles comprising independently movable hook members and cast-off members and being of a type capable of transferring loops to cylinder needles, there being twice as many cylinder needles as dial needles, alternate cylinder needles only being active to draw stitches during rib knitting, and means for selectively locating dial needles either close to, and in advance of, cooperating active cylinder needles during rib knitting, or substantially midway between those cylinder needles which are active during rib knitting.

2. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial, cylinder and dial needles respectively carried thereby, the dial needles comprising independently movable hook members and cast-off members and being of a type capable of transferring loops to cylinder needles, there being twice as many cylinder needles as dial needles, alternate cylinder needles only being active to draw stitches during rib knitting, and means for selectively locating dial needles either close to, and in advance of, cooperating active cylinder needles during rib knitting, or substantially midway between those cylinder needles which are active during rib knitting, the last mentioned means comprising means for producing relative shogging movements between the dial and cylinder.

3. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial, cylinder and dial needles respectively carried thereby, the dial needles being of a type capable of transferring loops to cylinder needles, there being twice as many cylinder needles as dial needles, alternate cylinder needles only being active to draw stitches during rib knitting, and means for selectively locating dial needles either close to, and in advance of, cooperating active cylinder needles and to the rear of alignment with inactive cylinder needles during rib knitting, or substantially midway be tween those cylinder needles which are active during rib knitting.

4. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial, cylinder and dial needles respectively carried thereby, the dial needles being of a type capable of transferring loops to cylinder needles, there being twice as many cylinder needles as dial needles, alternate cylinder needles only being active to draw stitches during rib knitting, and means for selectively locating dial needles either close to, and in advance of, cooperating active cylinder needles and to the rear of alignment with inactive cylinder needles during rib knitting, or substantially midway between those cylinder needles which are active during rib knitting, the last mentioned means comprising means for producing relative shogging movements between the dial and cylinder.

5. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial, cylinder and dial needles respectively carried thereby, the dial needles being of a type capable of transferring loops to cylinder needles, there being twice as many cylinder needles as dial needles, alternate cylinder needles only being active to draw stitches during rib knitting, sawtooth sinkers located between each active cylinder needle and the next following inactive cylinder needle, and means for locating dial needles close to, and in advance of, cooperating active cylinder needles during rib knitting, the parts being arranged so that said sawtooth sinkers engage yarn extending between loops drawn by cylinder and dial needles during rib knitting.

6. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial, cylinder and dial needles respectively carried thereby, the dial needles being of a type capable of transferring loops to cylinder needles, there being twice as many cylinder needles as dial needles, alternate cylinder needles only being active to draw stitches during rib knitting, and sawtooth sinkers located between each active cylinder needle and the next following inactive cylinder needle, the parts being arranged so that said sawtooth sinkers engage yarn extending between loops drawn by cylinder and dial needles during rib knitting.

7. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial, cylinder and dial needles respectively carried thereby, sinkers associated with the cylinder needles, and means for locating dial needles close to, and in advance of,

cooperating cylinder needles during rib knitting, the parts being arranged so that said sinkers engage yarn extending between loops drawn by cylinder and dial needles during rib knitting.

8. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial, cylinder and dial needles respectively carried thereby, sinkers associated with the cylinder needles, and means for locating dial needles close to, and in advance of, cooperating cylinder needles during rib knitting, the parts being arranged so that said sinkers engage yarn extending between loops drawn by cylinder needles and by following dial needles during rib knitting.

9. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial, cylinder and dial needles respectively carried thereby, sawtooth sinkers associated with the cylinder needles, and means for locating dial needles close to, and in advance of, cooperating cylinder needles during rib knitting, the parts being arranged so that said sawtooth sinkers engage yarn extending between loops drawn by cylinder and dial needles during rib knitting.

10. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial, cylinder and dial needles respectively carried thereby, sawtooth sinkers associated with the cylinder needles, and means for locating dial needles close to, and in advance of, cooperating cylinder needles during rib knitting, the parts being arranged so that said sawtooth sinkers engage yarn extending between loops drawn by cylinder needles and by following dial needles during rib knitting.

11. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial, cylinder and dial needles respectively carried thereby, and sinkers associated with the cylinder needles, the parts being arranged so that said sinkers engage yarn extending between loops drawn by cylinder and dial needles during rib knitting.

12. In a circular knitting machine, a cylinder, a dial movable axially relatively to the cylinder, cylinder and dial needles respectively carried by the cylinder and dial, sawtooth sinkers associated with the cylinder needles, fins carried by the dial, and means for producing relative shogging movements between the dial and cylinder so that, when the dial is being moved towards the cylinder the fins may be spaced substantially angularly from the sawtooth sinkers, and when the dial and cylinder are closely related for rib knitting the fins may be brought closely adjacent to the sawtooth sinkers.

13. The method of knitting an article having a rib portion knit by dial needles and active cylinder needles and a plain portion knit after transfer of stitches from the dial needles to alternate cylinder needles which were inactive during knitting of the rib portion, comprising the step of knitting said rib portion while drawing inwardly the knitted fabric by elements engaging yarn extending between loops drawn by cylinder and dial needles.

14. The method of knitting an article starting on bare needles comprising knitting a plurality of courses in which all loops are concatenated in one direction, and then knitting continuously therewith a rib portion on cylinder and dial needles while drawing inwardly the knitted fabric by elements engaging yarn extending between loops drawn by cylinder and dial needles.

15. The method of knitting an article starting on bare needles comprising knitting a plurality of courses in which all loops are concatenated in one direction, and then knitting continuously therewith a rib portion with the dial needles close to, and in advance of, cooperating cylinder needles, the dial needles being closer to following active cylinder needles than to preceding active cylinder needles, the cylinder needles drawing their stitches in advance of the drawing of stitches by the dial needles.

16. The method of knitting, on a circular knitting machine equipped with dial and cylinder needles and sliding elements to tension fabric by engagement of the fabric between said sliding elements and a dial, an article starting on bare needles, comprising knitting a plurality of courses starting on cylinder needles only, sufiicient to be engaged between said sliding elements and the underside of the dial, and in which all loops are concatenated in the same direction, and then knitting continuously therewith a rib portion with the sliding elements tensioning said fabric by engaging it between said elements and the underside of the dial for casting-01f purposes.

17. The method of knitting, on a circular knitting machine equipped with dial and cylinder needles and sliding elements to tension fabric by engagement of the fabric between said sliding elements and a dial, an article starting on bare needles, comprising starting on cylinder needles only and knitting on alternate cylinder needles only a plurality of courses, snfficient to be engaged between said sliding elements and the underside of the dial, in which all loops are concatenated in the same direction, and then knitting continuously therewith a rib portion with the sliding element's tensioning said fabric by engaging it between said elements and the underside of the dial for casting-ofi purposes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,483,009 Page Feb. 5, 1924 1,641,101 Scott Aug. 30, 1927 2,191,378 Getaz Feb. 20, 1940 2,191,389 Hill Feb. 20, 1940 2,214,549 Dickens Sept. 10, 1940 2,255,068 Lawson et a1. Sept. 9, 1941 2,387,768 Page Oct. 30, 1945 2,387,769 Page Oct. 30, 1945 

